gwr-1361-class

The GWR 1361 Class was a series of five small 0-6-0 saddle-tank locomotives designed by George Jackson Churchward and built at Swindon Works in 1910 for dock shunting duties at Plymouth Docks and other GWR dock locations, where the compact saddle-tank configuration and the tight 0-6-0 wheelbase could negotiate the very restricted curves and confined spaces of the dock approach roads and quayside sidings. The 1361 Class was one of the smallest saddle-tank types built by the GWR and specifically designed for the dock environment where the tight curves, restricted headroom, and confined spaces demanded a locomotive smaller than any of the standard GWR tank types.

The Plymouth Docks — Millbay Dock and the Great Western Docks at Devonport — generated substantial marine traffic for the GWR, including the famous Ocean Liner Express specials that connected arriving Atlantic liner passengers at Plymouth with London Paddington, dramatically reducing the time from shipboard to London compared with the liner continuing to Southampton. The dock shunting locomotives that served the Plymouth quayside were a vital but unglamorous part of this prestigious service, shuffling stock and arranging the Ocean Liner Express consists at the dockside.

One example, No. 1363, is preserved at the Steam Museum, Swindon.